Maternal, Newborn, and Adolescent Health

Ahsan Khandoker of Khalifa University in the United Arab Emirates will build a low-cost, non-invasive abdominal phonogram device that can be used on a mobile phone to assess sounds that indicate fetal well being such as heart rate and body movement. The device will employ a software algorithm to extract fetal noises in an acoustic signal from maternal and environmental noises, allowing health care workers in remote locations to conduct obstetric assessments without expensive or invasive equipment.

Douglas Weibel of the University of Wisconsin-Madison in the U.S. proposes to develop a portable diagnostic system that uses inexpensive plastic assay cartridges that wick samples into chambers loaded with reagents to detect bacteria associated with neonatal sepsis. The cartridges will be attached to a smart phone loaded with an application that collects data and transmits results to a clinical lab for further treatment instructions.

Sudhin Thayyil of the University College London in the United Kingdom, along with Seetha Shankaran of Wayne State University in the U.S. and Balraj Guhan of Calicut Medical College in India, will develop and validate a low-cost, low-technology whole body cooling device that operates on a proven servo-controlled algorithm with minimal supervision. This device could reduce death and disability resulting from neonatal encephalopathy in developing countries where expensive cooling equipment and trained healthcare providers are scarce.

Saifuddin Ahmed of Johns Hopkins University in the U.S. will develop and test a low-cost, reusable warming jacket for use in preventing hypothermia in preterm babies. The jacket uses the non-toxic salt solution currently used for hand warmers and muscle pain relief pads and could be used in tandem with Kangaroo Mother Care in developing countries where electricity and incubators are not available.

John Pietsch of Vanderbilt University Medical Center in the U.S. proposes to develop rugged, compact, easy-to-use bioelectrical impedance analysis instruments based on a smart phone platform to assess nutritional status in mothers, infants, and children. These instruments will allow minimally trained health workers to detect malnutrition prior to symptoms and determine the effectiveness of nutritional interventions.

Shulin Chen of Washington State University in the U.S. will develop a low-cost microalgae technology using agricultural byproducts to produce the fatty acid DHA and the carotenoid lutein, which helps prevents DHA oxidation. DHA and lutein will be microencapsulated for use as a nutritional supplement by pregnant and nursing mothers in an effort to enhance early stage child development and prevent disease.

Kathleen Bongiovanni of Seattle Children's Hospital in the U.S. will test whether oral fluids routinely suctioned from newborns mouths immediately after delivery - instead of fluids collected by amniocentesis or aspiration - can be used in a surfactant foam stability test to diagnose lung immaturity and predict respiratory distress syndrome (RDS). The non-invasive sample collection would enable skilled birth attendants in developing countries to detect lung immaturity in premature babies and reduce RDS-associated morbidity and mortality.

Heather Underwood of the University of Colorado, Boulder in the U.S. will develop and field test an interactive digital pen that works in conjunction with the partograph, a widely adopted labor monitoring graph, to validate data entered on the graph and provide alerts to health care workers regarding conditions that need additional observation or intervention.

Sergey Shevkoplyas, Lakhinder Kamboj, and Noshir Pesika of Tulane University in the U.S. will develop a microfabricated bidirectional membrane that can be placed in the mother's vagina just prior to delivery to facilitate the baby's passage through the birth canal. This simple-to-use device could significantly improve outcomes during vaginal deliveries in resource limited settings.

Frans Walther of the Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute in the U.S. will adapt a low-cost synthetic lung surfactant for aerosol delivery as a non-invasive and simple method to support breathing in premature infants. Surfactant is composed of lipids and proteins, and keeps the lungs open during expiration. It is normally administered to premature infants with breathing difficulties by tracheal intubation, which can be problematic in low-resource settings and cause side effects.